Mike PouraryanHugo Chavez and Russia: A Love Story....
Hugo Chavez is going to Russia to buy arms. He wants to buy Submarines, Frigates, planes, you name it. As it stands, that's fine. But, why is he buying those arms? Who is he afraid of? Is it the "empire"? To me, he's like a kid who has been turned loose in a Candy Store. He's got so much money; he doesn't know what to do with it. Instead of going on an Arms Buying Spree, it seems to me that he ought to address the fundamentals: solving the traffic mess in Caracas, building up the schools and investing in a future without oil. I also find it interesting that the United States is staying silent. There is little that the United States can actually do. The encroachment by Russia in the Americas is a direct result of the fact that the United States took its' eye off the ball. The United States credibility was under attack in Latin America for quite some time anyway. Hugo Chavez saw an opening and is driving a Mack truck through that opening. This is a wake-up call. The flip side of this is of course Russia's objections to the United States supporting NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine. It is hypocritical, but world diplomacy at play.
One thing is for sure: It is bound to get dicey.
One thing is for sure: It is bound to get dicey.
